


Study Date

by BarPurple



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Cuddling & Snuggling, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Kissing, Pretzel Week, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-21
Updated: 2017-02-21
Packaged: 2018-09-26 01:12:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9855464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BarPurple/pseuds/BarPurple
Summary: Magical libraries can be tricky places at the best of times, especially when the librarians have put spells in place to protect their precious books.





	

Weaverwood was the greatest postgraduate college for witchcraft and wizardry in the Northern Hemisphere, and one of only two places in the world that offered FROGs (Further Research Outstanding Grades). Located in the deep woods of Maine the sprawling complex of log cabins looked to Muggles like an abandoned summer camp, but it housed a large library of magical books, a dedicated student body and teaching staff.

Belle, a first year Tadpole, as under graduate FROG students were known, was absorbed in her work translating an ancient Charms text, automatically stretching after ever few pages. As she rolled her neck she caught sight of a welcome figure ambling through the stacks with an armful of books. She changed a stretch into a wave.

“Hey Rumple.”

He almost dropped a few books as he pushed his hair out of his face to seek out the voice that hailed him. A soft smile spread across his face as he spotted Belle.

“Hey there, Belle. You still here?”

She’d been working flat out when he left for a lecture four hours ago. Rumple was a Froglet having already completed one set of FROGs in Transfiguration he was now working towards his second in Potions. He carefully stacked his books on the corner of her desk, mindful not to disturb the organized chaos his friend worked in.

“Yes, some of these translations are terribly inaccurate.”

“Well, if anyone can fix them it’ll be you.”

They spoke in the hushed tones of library natives, in fact both of them spent so much time in here it was rumoured that they’d forgotten what their own lodgings looked like. Rumple reached for one of the tomes Belle was using, but his hand never connected with the leather binding. The desk and all the books were wrapped in a cloud of purple smoke which cleared to reveal a four poster bed. Belle and Rumple groaned simultaneously.

The librarians of Weaverwood had long since grown tired of finding exhausted students passed out on the books, so in the spirit of caring for students who wouldn’t care for themselves they cast a few spells to protect their beloved books from drool marks and spilled ink pots. Pages would refuse to turn until you did some stretching exercises; books would snap closed if you had been studying for three hours straight and insist that you took a break in one of the designated snack areas; but the one that students dreaded occurred after thirteen hours of continuous study; the Snooze Spell. This was the spell that had Belle and Rumple looking at each other over the plush quilt of a four poster bed.

Belle smothered an awkward giggle with her hand. The Snooze Spell dressed the student in PJs as another unsubtle hint that they needed to sleep. Belle was wearing sensible tartan PJs, but that didn’t explain why Rumple was wearing bright blue flannel nightdress adorned with unicorns. His face flushed as he looked down at himself.

“I think it mixed us up.”  
His wand had been on top of his stack of books, so just like Belle’s it was currently out of reach. Even if he had access to it he wouldn’t have tried to alter what he was wearing, the Snooze Spell could get tricky in interfered with and he wouldn’t have wanted to risk ending up naked in front of Belle.

“I’m sorry Rumple, I thought I had another hour left.”

The only way to get your books back when the Snooze Spell was triggered was to take a nap, since Rumple’s books had been on the table at the time he was included in the spell. Belle’s eyes went wide when the reality of their situation hit her. They were going to have to share the bed; they were going to have to sleep together. She made a strangled gulp of panic as her mind hurriedly correct that thought to ‘sleep next to each other’. It was something she had some very vivid dreams about. She pushed those pleasant memories from her mind, the last thing she needed was to make this anymore awkward for her best friend. Rumple wasn’t meeting her eye so she guessed he was feeling a little anxious about this situation.

Rumple was nervous, not about sleeping in the library, this was the only place he’d got any rest before his first set of exams; sharing a bed with Belle was making his palms sweat. He liked Belle, which wasn’t surprising everyone liked Belle, but his feelings went beyond friendly, he knew he was falling in love with her and that might make this awkward.

“Erm. Which side do you want?”

Belle tapped the edge of the bed nearest to her, “This one is fine.”

Rumple waved a hand towards the single long pillow that spanned the head of the bed, “Shall we?”

They pulled the covers back and climbed in, closing the drapes around the bed before they lay down. Both of them were lying on their backs staring at the canopy above them, twelve inches of clear space between them.

“So, is this how you normally sleep?”

Belle wriggled a bit; “Nope, I’m usually in the middle of the bed hugging a spare pillow.”

There wasn’t a spare pillow, but he had an idea.

“I’m a bit bonier than a pillow, but I don’t mind if you want to cuddle. If it’d help you sleep, I mean.”

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Belle’s head turn towards him. She looked at him for a long moment and then said; “You’re sure?”

“Yeah.”

They shuffled towards the centre of the bed and Rumple slipped his arm under Belle’s neck as her head came to rest in the crook of his shoulder. Her hand hovered above his chest for an instant before she settled it above his heart. 

“This okay?”

“Aye, this is fine.”

“Do you snore?”

“Not that I know of. You?”

“No, do talk in my sleep sometimes.”

“Ah well so do I, might be an interesting conversation.”

Belle’s breathing deepened as she drifted off, she must have be exhausted to drop off so easily. Rumple tentatively wrapped his hand around her shoulder, she snuggled in to him and he fell asleep with a contented smile on his lips.

 

Hours later Rumple found himself floating in that lovely space between sleeping and waking. He was warm and comfortable dreaming of holding Belle in his arms. As he surfaced more from sleep his became aware that his dream was in fact reality. While they’d slept they’d twined around each other more, legs tangled together and arms wrapped around each other. Rumple felt a blush rise on his face, his hand was on Belle’s bum, oh bloody hell he was groping his best friend. Before he could move away Belle squeezed his bum, he’d not even noticed that she had her hand there.

“Hey, you sleep well?”

“Oh yeah, very well.”

He opened his eyes to find Belle looking at him. She was nibbling her bottom lip. Rumple felt a sense of now or never wash over him; If he pulled away now Belle and him might remain as friends, which would be great, but wasn’t it worth the risk of seeing if they could be more? Belle’s hand moved from his bum and he was sure the moment had past until the slight pressure of her hand on his back urging him closer to her. As one they closed the gap between their faces, and shared a gentle kiss. They sighed together and held each other closer as the kiss deepened. After an eternity of bliss they broke apart, their joy reflected in each other’s eyes.

“We should probably get up.”

“Aye, would you like to get some breakfast?”

Belle nodded eagerly and they began to reluctantly untangle themselves from each other. The moment they were both out of the bed the Snooze Spell broke returning everything to as it was before, including their clothes thankfully. They gathered up their books while sharing shy smiles and blushes. Rumple’s hands were full of books so   
he offered Belle his arm and grinned as she slipped her hand around it. 

“Waffles or pancakes?”


End file.
